Water-supply system



April 22, 1930. E. G. KELLEY Er AL 1,755,993

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM l 'F'iled Aug. 16, 1926 35 In? sz y Z5 xxnxf/ 34,

mlwlas TTORNEY.

'Patented Apr. 22, 1930i UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE EDWARD G'. KELLEY AND CHARLES E. ZIRKLE, GREENVILLE, OHIO, ASSVIGNORS 0F ON-HALF T0 'WILLIAM C. GROENIGER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO WATER-SUPPLY SYSTEM Application led August 16, 1926. Serial No. 129,598.

l applicable, andthe invention has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a system to prevent any possibility of the polluting of the water supplied thereby by the siphoning of a back ilow of sewage from a plumbing ixture. v l

A further object of the invention, is to provide a system in a manner as hereinafter referred to, for introducing airat the proper point or points in a plumbing xture, construction, device, apparatus or connection to prevent siphonage and thereby eliminate the danger of polluting a water supply system by sewage.'

The drawing illustrates b way of example, a sewage systemV of the ushing type, in accordance with this invention, to prevent the back flow of sewage to prevent the polluting ofthe water and in the drawing Figure 1 is an elevation,fpartly in section, of a sewage system of the flushing type illustrated with a plurality of closet bowls.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of an air valve to supply air to prevent siphonage.

Briefly described, a system in accordance rwith this invention, comprises the automatic supply of air into theleg stand pipe to the ushin valve and the automatlc supply of air to te head of the stand pipe on the opening of a flushing valve or valves, undersuch conditions preventing the 40 formation of a siphoning action in a leg or legs, as well as in the stand pipe thereby overcoming the possibility of a bac -ilow of,`

sewage to prevent the polluting of the water in the stand pipe. The leg or legs and stand pipe being normally closedto the atmosphere and the air supply control for the leg or each leg, and for the stand pipe dpreventing any o utiow lof air or water, an acting to close'the stand pipe, leg or legs tothe atmosf 5, -phere in the case of back pressure or when leading from the the flush-ing valve or valves is or are inactive.

Referring to the drawings 1,2 and 3 indicate water closet bowls arranged at different levels and which are set up in association with a sewage system of the flushing type. The ilushing valve for each of the bowls is indicated at 4 and the lever for opening and closing the valve at 5. The flushing pipe, p

which communicates with the bowl and leads from the flushing valve 4: is indicated at 6. The flushing valve 4 is of lknown construction with this exception that its housing or casingl is extended upwardly to make it' of increased length and has its top formed with an opening 7 having its wall threaded throughout as indicated at 8. The flushing valve casing or housing is indicated at 9,' Figure 2. The lid for each'bowl is indicated at 10.

Common to the several bowls is a water supply stand pipe 11 having opening into its lower 'end a water feed pipe 12. The stand pipe 11 isformed with flushing water conducting legs 13 which correspond in number to the number of bowls and each leg 13 leads from the stand pipe 11 and opens into' the casing or housing 9 above the flushing valve. Carried by each casing or housing 9, as ,well as at the head of the stand pipe 11, is an air supply controlling valvular device and as each of said devices is of the same construction, but one will be described, as the de-"` scription of one will apply to the other. It.

will be understood however that the air supply controlling valve can be of any suitable construction for supplying air into the housing or casing 9 and further that the valvular device illustrated is shown by way of example and is one form which can be employed for supplying air to prevent a siphoning action 1n and with respect to a flushing valve, a flushing water conducting leg and in the stand pipe. As shown in Figure 2 the valvular devioe'comprises la plu consisting of a head 14 and a stem 15 wliic "isperiplierally threadedfor connection to the casing or housing 9. The stem 15 has threaded engagement with the threads 8 of the wall of the opening 7 and the head 14 which is of greater diame- .ter than the stem 15 seatson the top of 4 the nu 2casing or housing 9. The head 14 is periphpart ofthe housing e0 erally threaded as at 16 and has its top rovided witha concavity or recess 17 w ich opens at the upper end of the plug. The plug is formed with an axially arranged air duct 18 which at its upper end communicates with the-/concavity 17 and has its lower end open at/ the Ainner end of the stem 15. The duct 18 establishes communication between the /concavity 17 and the interior of the casing or i housing 9. The 'head 14 is circular in contour and mounted on the top edge thereof, as well as extending across the top of the concavity 17 is a resilient valve 19 in the form .of a circular ydisk .and provided adjacent its axis with a plurality of spaced ports 20'. Arranged upon the valve 19 is a binding washer` 21 therefor and which is constructed of ri 'd material. VThe opening formed in the was er 21 is of reduced size, as indicated at 22, is arranged in alinement with the duct 18 but spaced therefrom, and preferably is of the 'same diameter as the diameter lof the duct 18. The washer 21 acts as 'a means for normally closing the ports 20 as when the flushing valve is closed, the valve 1'9 abuts against the lower face of the washer 21 and the latter then acts to close the portsl 20. Vhen the flushing valve is open, a suction action wlll' be set ,up on the valve 19 and owing to the mannenz'fl 1n which it is constructed, that is to say resilient, as well as flexible, it is:y drawn inwardly, whereby air passing through the opening 22 Willbe permitted to pass through the p ort 20, through the duct 18 and into the caslng' or housing 9 and will .break up any slphonlng action therein. Breaking up of the si hon# ing action will lprevent any back iow o sewage through t e conducting leg 13 to the stand pipe 11 thereby preventing any po ss1 bility of polluting the water in the stand pipe. Back pressure from the flushing valve or from the bowl will `act onth'e valve 19 to hold the same against the lower face of the washer 21 and thereby seal the port 20. The upper face of the washer 21 is provided with a pairI of ,spaced lugs 23 against whichl normally seat a ball valve 24, but the seating of .the

valve 24 will not prevent the passage 'of airl into the opening 22 of the washer21. The

function of the ball valve 24," which isa check valve, will be presently referred'to.

The air supply controlling valvular device further includes an open bottom housing 25,

which is formed with interior threads 264501'- engagement with the threads 16 of the head 14. .When the housing 25 is in engagement with the head 14 of the i top of the casing or housin 9. *The lower 25, which is indicated at 27 is of greater dianteter than thev upper part which is indicated at28.' Bysetting up fthe inner diameter manner :'whereby the inner diameter of the eportion 28 be` less than the inner diameter o fl-theportion'27, a shoulder 29tisn plug it rests upon the ythe .fixture to. the

of the housing- 25 in a provided and against which abuts the marginal portion of the .upper face of the washer 21 and owing to the interengagement of the housing 25 with the head 14 of the plug, the washer 21 and valve 1'9 are tightly clamped against the shoulder 29 and top edge of the lhead 14 respectively. The top of the housing 25 is formed with an air inlet 30 and the .inner face of the housing 25, at the top there- 0f is rabbeted as at 31 and seated against, as well as secured to thewall of the rabbeted portion 31 is a flexible disk 32 provided with an opening 33 which registers with the inlet 30. That portion of smallest inner diameter of the housing 25 provides a valve chamber 33 for the check valve 24 and the disk 32 `constitutes a seat for the valve 24 whenthe of air to the casing or housing 9, during the activity of the flushing valve, butI will prevent any possibility of air or water from discharging from the casing or housing 9 or in other Words the controlling device will per- `mit a supply of. air, but will prevent the exhaust of air fromthe casing or housing 9, as well as preventing the exhaust of water or sewage.

The air supply controlling valvular device which is mounted at the top' of each casing or housing 9 is indicated generally by the reference character 35lv and that mounted in the head of the stand pipe, generally by the reference character 36. The valvular device 36 is secured in the head of the stand pipe 11 in the samel manner as that shown with respect to the housing or casing 9.

On the opening of `any one of the liushing valves 4, a supply of air will be had to the casing or housing 9 and prevent any siphoning action and on the opening of any one of the flushing valves4asupply ofair will be hadinto the upper-end of the stand pipe 11. The supi ply-of air is had to the stand pipe 11, when one, two or all of the iushing valves are open and whether said valves are synchronously opened or made active at different times.

will prevent any poslsibility `of polluting the water lsupply by ack flow of sewage from l water supply system by siphonage. The method of introducing air at the proper point in the plumbing fixture, construction, device, apparatus, or connection will prevent siphonage and eliminate the' danger of pollu'ting\aA water supply system.

The supply of air at the pointsindicated .ter is open thereby establishing communicaby sewage. The introduction of the air at the proper place will prevent trap siphonage of the plumbing xtures and insure their water seal in the same manner as is now provided by code or ordinance that each trap be protected from siphonage by means of a vent or back vent pipe v y What we claim 1s:

1. In a water supply system for iiushing purposes, a water supplystand pipe, a normally closed iiushing valve mechanism, a bowl communicating with said mechanism,a flushing water conducting leg leading from said pipe to said mechanism, said mechanism provided at its top with an extension, a normally closed suction operated valvular element connected to said pipe for normally closing itto the atmosphere, positioned at a point remote from said leg and shifted from normal position on the travel of the iushing water through said mechanism when the lattion between said pipe and the atmosphere,

' and a normally closed, suction operated valvmosphere,

' system to arrest back `1y closed, air intake ular element connected to said extension for normally closing said mechanism to the atand shifted to open osition simultaneously with the first mentioned valvularA element on the travelof the iiushing water through said mechanism when the latter is open, to establish communication between said mechanism and the atmosphere whereby when communication is established between said pipe and mechanism with the atmosphere the formation of siphonage action is prevented and -back iow of sewage through said mechanism prevented.

2. In a water supply system -normally closed to t e atmosphere, a normally closed `water discharge valve, and normally closed air intake means automatically opened for the automatic introduction of air into said system at two points remote from each other` when said dischar e valve ,is opened thereb preventing a syp oning action the low through said valve.

3.- In a water supply system of that type normally closed to the atmosphere, a normally closed water discharge valve, and normalmeans automatically opened for .the automatic introduction of ain into said system when they said discharge valve is opened to provide a vacuum break to prevent back flow through said valve.

4'.- In combination, a receptacle having a water inlet and an outlet, said inletfor com- I munication with a watersupply pipe, a valve `normally closing4 said mlet, and normally closed air intake means automatically opened to provide a vacuum break for preventing l back flow from the outlet to the supply pipe l when the valve is open and-the outlet clogged.

5. In combination a receptacle, a water supply vpipe opening therein, said rece tacle having 'an `outlet/,fa :yalve normally c osing said pipe, and normally closed air intake means automatically opened to provide a vacuum break for preventing back flow from the outlet to said pipe when the valve is open and the outlet clogged.

v 6. In combination, a water receptacle having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet for communicaton with a water supply pipe, a valve normally closing said inlet and shiftable to open position, and an air supply means in-I other than normal.

In testimony whereof, we aix our signatures hereto.

EDWARD G. KELLEY. CHARLES E. ZIRKLE.

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